My Queen
by Minor God
Summary: The old Faun Tumnus would give anything to see his beloved Queen Lucy one last time. Set after the Golden Age.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Mr. Tumnus and Lucy aren't mine. Although if they were, I'd probably put them to good use (looks about to see if they are near).

Lucy smiled gleefully as she surveyed her new (or old) body. She was 9 now, and having just stepped into Narnia, had been re-given the beautiful adult body that she had left with, all those months ago.

What of her kingdom? she wondered. But that was not her first thought. The one she had missed deeply, the one her heart had wrenched for ever since she left this land, was Tumnus.

Excitedly, Lucy ploughed her way through the mud (autumn had come already here), soon finding her own old lantern, under which she had first met the dear faun. But now it looked old – rusted. The glass around the burned-out candle was cracked.

However, Lucy was not daunted. On she went, until finally, she came to her friend's little cave. Her heart leapt as she saw a light on inside.

­­

Tumnus sighed as he padded over to his chair by the fire.

The rain was pouring down outside, so there could be no hope of going to stand by the lantern today. He eased himself down in the chair steadily (his joints had not been so good in the last few years). By the dim light of his lamps, Tumnus could make out a little black and white picture on the mantle piece. In it, his own face – younger – smiled back at him. And beside his past self, was a beautiful girl of about 15, with a little crown atop her golden hair.

All of a sudden, Tumnus's mouth fell open.

He looked at that picture so many times every day, and yet, yet today... years after it had been taken, he noticed something he had never seen before.

The young girl, Queen Lucy, was not looking at the camera at all. She was looking up to him. Into his eyes, and though he had been so happy to be there with her, and she was held in his arms, he wasn't looking back at her.

He could not tell exactly why, but this reduced the old faun to tears.

A beautiful day many, many Narnian years ago, came to mind. Tumnus had gone to stay at Cair Paravel while the young monarchs went in search of The White Stag. He had _told _them to. The plan was that on her return, he would escort Queen Lucy to the ball they would have in celebration of the capture of the White Stag. He would feel so proud, with the beautiful young maiden on his arm; he, the humble faun, would be the envy of all the foreign princes and noblemen at court.

But his day had never come.

When the first night had fallen, after their departure, a search party was sent out, and another after them. Weeks and months ticked by, and finally turned into years.

The Golden Age had ended. Tumnus had sent the kings and queens to their deaths.

What's more, he had sent his own dear little friend out, telling her how magnificent a day it would be, as they would surely capture the Stag, and soon all pain and suffering would be ended. And she had believed it with all her heart. Poor little Lucy.

Finally, all the rest of Narnia had moved on. They had a new king, new prospects, and old memories. But he had waited for her. And he still did. He spent dawn to dusk of almost every day merely standing beneath the lamppost, waiting for sight or sound of his little Queen. And there was none. He waited for some freedom from the guilt that he had harboured for all these years, for some absolution. And there was none.

The misery wracked his mind. All he could think about now was that this may be the very day that she returned, but he would not be there to greet her. And when he searched the forests, his thoughts were partly with how she may now be at the lamppost, and he was not. So when he was at the lamppost he thought constantly about how she may be wandering alone through the forests. He made tea for her every day, in case she should come in, cold and ill from years of being lost. Even now, beneath a cloth on the sideboard, was a plate of stew, cooked just the way she liked it.

A tear trickled down the old faun's cheek. He was beginning to think that maybe he was not much longer for this world. So should Lucy ever return – should she be at all alive, he may not get to see her. And how sad it made him. He would give anything to have her sit across from him once more. To have dinner with her, to talk happily...

Suddenly, a ferocious, loud knocking came at the door. Tumnus leapt up ready for disappointment, but never to miss an opportunity.

And there she stood. As beautiful as the last time he saw her.

His Queen.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello, new chapter, and reviews will be very much appreciated!

Lucy bent over the form of her old friend worriedly. He looked much older than she had expected him to, but she was so happy to see him that she didn't care at all. What did give her cause for concern, however, was the way he had suddenly and heavily passed out, on seeing her.

Fauns are relatively small creatures, so Lucy was just about able to drag her friend through to his bedroom... where she stopped suddenly.

The walls – every inch of them – were covered in photographs and portraits of Lucy herself. Queen Lucy the Valiant of Narnia.

She sucked in a breath. A feeling of heavy guilt settled on her shoulders. How terrible she felt, having preyed on his mind all this time, but never coming to see him, nor even realising how time in Narnia was flooding by, taking the faun's life with it. And now... she looked sadly down at Tumnus. It was unmistakably him, but how old and ill he looked. Maybe she had come too late.

With one last effort, she heaved him up onto the bed.

Soon he began to come round. The smile that lit up his face when he saw Lucy melted her heart. He lifted a hand to move her hair from her face, stroking it gently as he did. "My Queen," he murmured. "You haven't aged a day."

Lucy shook her head. "I don't understand," she replied. "I am only just nine back in... Spare Oom, but here I feel the same as I did when I left Narnia."

Tumnus started up in bed. "Left? You mean to say, you are not just some spirit come to tend to me at my deathbed? You _are_ actually Lucy, as I knew her?"

"Yes!" cried Lucy. "And no more deathbed talk, why I'm sure you're in splendid condition. You probably just haven't looked after yourself very well," she added softly, with a glance around the room.

"But what _happened_?"

"When my siblings and I rode out on the hunt, we came upon the same point through which we entered Narnia. We were just drawn on by curiosity, and soon we found ourselves back in..." a smile stole across her lips, "Spare Oom."

Then, the reality of it took Tumnus in its firm grip. The years of guilt and grief were washed away in a moment. He felt as though chains were dropping off him, leaving him happy, but so very disorientated.

He had not killed them!

But then, had he wasted half his life thinking that he had?

With a great effort, he pushed both thoughts from his mind; Lucy was here and he was happy. And suddenly he remembered. "I made you some beef stew," said, with a smile.

Lucy stared, incredulous. "Well thank you. But, didn't you make yourself any?"

Tumnus shook his head. "I'm not feeling very well," he murmured.

Lucy felt even more confused now. "Well then," she said, with her queenly, righteous tone, "you must have mine."

"No!" cried Tumnus. He had made her dinner every night for twenty-five years and he wouldn't have her refuse it now. "Please! Remember all the good times we had when we ate dinner together? Please, just bring it in here, and eat it and we shall talk."

"...Very well," said Lucy. "But you must eat at some point."

Tumnus nodded, and Lucy was soon sitting by his bed, eating her stew. It gave Tumnus a long-forgotten feeling of being needed. Or being useful at the very least.

When she was finished, Lucy thanked him and said, "Now how are you feeling?"

Tumnus for a moment considered being brave, but eventually settled on a more truthful "Happy, but cold and very tired."

Lucy considered. She examined the room (flinching a little at the Lucy the Valiant memorabilia): there was no fireplace, no hot water pipes, only a thin blanket on the bed, and even a cracked window. "Oh, dear Mr. Tumnus," she said, her voice breaking with despair, "why haven't you had someone come to fix the window? And why have only one blanket?"

Looking into her beautiful eyes, Tumnus could find no real answer. He just hadn't thought about these things the past years. He supposed it had really happened when the new king had a family, and heirs to the thrones were secured – he had realised that the Pevensies were well and truly pushed aside. "Lucy, your highness," he said. "After all these years, I still love you as much as I did at your coronation."

Lucy placed a warm hand on his cheek. "I love you too, Mr. Tumnus."

For a moment, they shared the true magnitude of their love. To have lasted all these years (or months) with no contact, but to rise again, like summer after the hundred-year winter, was, they both realised, immense and beautiful.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Another chapter for you! When we are united in the True Narnia, reviewers get cake! And please can you suggest whether you'd like full romance, or just as it is? Thanks.

Night had fallen outside, and even through his excitement, Tumnus was nearly asleep. But Lucy was adamant that he should not spend another night in a cold room with rain trickling in through the window.

She rummaged through the draws in the living-room, finally finding some sheets of cardboard, which she used to block off the window, waving aside Tumnus's offers of help as she did. Then, she hunted high and low for another blanket. But there were none to be found. She entered his room again.

"My darling, why don't you have another blanket? Don't you even wash that one?"

"Well... I do during the day, sometimes."

Lucy sighed. "You have looked after me all these years, when I haven't even been here. And yet, you have neglected yourself."

"You're here now," pointed out Tumnus.

Lucy felt something akin to panic rising up in her. "But _you_ won't be here much longer at this rate!"

They stared each other in the eye, both looking frightened. "...Oh, Mr. Tumnus, I am so sorry. I was upset because you're ill and it worries me."

Tumnus considered her sad expression. He supposed he should be glad that she cared, but still he felt humiliated at being seen like this. It had only occurred even to him recently how old he was now. And here he was, with the girl he used to care for like her father, and she was caring for him. His dream had come true, but now it was going wrong. "Where will you sleep tonight?" he asked finally.

Lucy blinked. "I don't know. But I think perhaps you would be better sleeping by the fire. Would you hurt your back in the chair, do you think?"

"Probably," he murmured. But then, louder, "Why don't we share the bed? You'll have somewhere to sleep, and I'll be warm."

Lucy looked uncomfortable.

"Oh, now" said Tumnus, sounding very hurt. "I could never harm you, Lucy!"

"No." Lucy looked into his beautiful, sad eyes. "No, I'm sorry." She brought the lamp through from the living-room, and there, in the half-light, peeled off her heavy, velvet dress and flung it on a chair in the corner. Now, wearing a flimsy cotton slip, she got in beside him. And for whatever reason, with whatever feelings behind it, they put their arms around each other, and smiled.

­­­

The next day, dawn smiled on the sleeping pair through the window that was not broken. They had spent the night in sweet dreams in each other's arms; both warm.

They awoke slowly, smiling at each other.

This morning, Tumnus suddenly felt much better. He had a new perspective, and he was determined not to let the fact that it had come so late bother him.

Lucy herself was happier about the situation. She was positive that today she could help her old friend get back on track, and learn what had become of Narnia since she had left.

And though she had known it anyway, it was good to be certain that Tumnus had not hurt her at all. She arose and dressed again. Without turning round, she was fairly sure that Tumnus was watching, but it didn't bother her.

She made him breakfast, and insisted that he ate it all, then they repeated the action the other way around.

While they did this, Lucy heard how the new royalty were not loved nearly as much as the Pevensies had been, but how there were now magnificent and empty graves for her and her siblings.

It made Lucy sad that she was no longer queen, but the important thing was that she was with Mr. Tumnus. Of course.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Chapter 4! Reviewers will be recommended to the kingdom of Aslan!

That day, the rain had cleared and there was a gentle autumn breeze.Tumnus and Lucy strolled through the forests arm in arm. The forests werebursting with rich colour and the melodic sounds of wildlife.

So it was that a long-past Narnian day came to Lucy's mind, and though she feared the answer, she asked, "Whatever became of Mr and Mrs Beaver?" Tumnus glanced at her, the at the ground. "I... I don't know. We lost touch," he admitted. "It was when I started to miss you so terribly." He shook with the painful memories. "They tried to help me and calm me down, but... I didn't want to be calm, I wanted to find you!"

"And so you did." Lucy rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes," he smiled sadly. "But too late to salvage my friendship with them, I fear."

Lucy sighed. She felt terrible for taking so much of the faun's life. She had missed him badly, but she had assumed that soon they would see each other again, and all would be as before. What a foolish child she was.

"It's so good to have you back, my queen," said Tumnus, as though he had read her thoughts.

And they strolled on for a while, in silence. Eventually, they came to the Lantern Waste local store (about 3 miles from Tumnus's cave). Lucy kept her head down as they went in and purchased provisions for the next few days, and three new blankets. It was very quiet, and the squirrel who served them was very young, and probably acne-ridden beneath his fur, so he could not have recognised her.

As they walked back, it began to rain again. Tumnus protectively slid his arm around Lucy's shoulder and she in turn put her arm around his rib cage (she felt a small chill on realising how much the bones stood out). And together, they ran/trotted the rest of the way.

When they fell into the cave, they were drenched. Water dripped from Tumnus's legs, and Lucy's dress clung to her. Tumnus, it seemed, noted this with some odd type of interest. For a while, they looked at each other silently. Then, "We're wet," said Tumnus, with a smile.

"That would appear to be it," replied Lucy.

And they collapsed into laughter.

Tumnus tried to light the fire, but he was already tired, so Lucy waved him away and did it herself. Tumnus sat down in his armchair; steam rose from the fur of his legs and he giggled quite embarrassedly at this. Lucy herself was quickly disappearing in a cloud of evaporated rain from her dress.

But Lucy, as you probably knew, was a logical and thoughtful young woman. So there it was that a thought pattern formed in her head: It is raining, so no-one will come by. I am wet and cold, but there is a fire on. And thusly, she stood up without a word, and peeled her dress off, away from her pale, soaked skin.

Tumnus sucked in a breath at this. She was exquisitely formed, and so confident. She gave him a beguiling smile as she lay her dress out on the fire guard to dry. There, in the firelight, with her hair dripping and the unmistakable shape of her now naked body, Tumnus could not help but think how real and alive she looked. It had taken him until last night to believe that she was not merely his mind going senile, or an angel come to take him to Aslan.

He felt a shame about her seeing him so old, when she herself had not aged a day. How he wished he had jumped on his chance when he was younger, and she ruled over Narnia. He would still be older than herself, but at least a more fitting suitor than he was now. He could have been popular – at least he was Narnian, unlike all the Princes who had come to seek her favour. He could have had years to enjoy life with her. Oh _why_ had he sent her after the stag?

Lucy seemed to notice his agitation. She placed a gentle hand on his, and knelt down before him. Tumnus was angrier still at himself, watching her beautiful body bend before him. He loved her with the noblest intentions at first, but thirty-five years ago, the love had become so beautiful and deep that he could scarcely contain his expressions of love. But he had. Somehow or other, he had managed. Why, though? He should have leapt in, grabbed his happiness while he had the chance. He could see now that she would have accepted him. All these years, Tumnus had wondered whether she would. He had wondered whether they could live in his cave, or would have to find room at Cair Paravel. He had even wondered what their children might have looked like.

"Darling," Lucy's voice brought him back to there here and now. "Please don't worry yourself with the past. I am here now, and I want to enjoy my time with you."

Tumnus nodded, then, to his euphoric amazement, Lucy reached up and kissed him. Not a shy little lip-peck like they had always done, but a bittersweet expression of their passions. Lucy ran down his chest and thighs with her hands, almost in a bowing gesture. Suddenly, the pain in his joints forgotten, Tumnus joined Lucy at his knees on the carpet.

Their bodies were pressed up against each other, not tensed, or clasping – just collapsed against each other, with no poise or vanity. Each's hands stroked the other's body. Tumnus, to his joy, felt Lucy shiver beneath his touch.

So, in front of the crackling fire that wet, dismal afternoon, finally, after so many years of hiding and torment, Tumnus the Faun and Lucy the Queen truly loved one another.

Somehow, they came to be lying side by side in bed that afternoon. Rain still trickled down outside, not breaking their happy silence.

Tumnus, in fact, had been asleep for sometime, but Lucy was not. Lucy was still worried.

For Narnian years, she had wondered whether her love for the faun was justified. This day, she had discovered it was not only justified, but glorified and wondrous. So _why_ had it come so late? Why had she not spoken up when she had the chance?

Beside her, in his sleep, Tumnus had a tremendous coughing fit.

This reduced Lucy to tears.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

A/N: The end is in sight-ish. A few more chapters, then... I have now decided the end!

Please review. Do you like the sex scene (I haven't written one before and due to their relationship, I thought it was inappropriate to be too graphic).

Thanks,

Minor God(dess)


	5. Chapter 5

­­­A/N: Reviewers get dinner with Tumnus in the kingdom of Aslan when I am only the waitress!

At dinnertime, Lucy awoke Tumnus and they ate together, talking happily.

Until, that is, Tumnus said, "How long have you loved me?" and Lucy replied:

"Why, about ten Narnian years. I mean, 35 now. How long have you loved

me?" she added with a smile.

Tumnus, however, replied without smiling. "The same. Oh, why did we not leap on our love when we had the chance?"

Lucy lay down her fork. "Darling," she said seriously, "this is no time to worry what may have been. We must celebrate our love as much as we possibly can now."

But these words did not have the effect she wanted. Her faun's eyes were suddenly brimming with tears, his face was contorted with pain, but no sound escaped his lips. When he spoke, his voice was steady. "You think I am soon to die."

"No!" Lucy stood, throwing her fork down so it dented the table, making Tumnus's face contort. "You are perfectly fine! You just don't believe it – you are already in better health than you were on my arrival. You were just too depressed to see it. We will have long and happy years together!" she finished haughtily. "And there's nothing you can do about it!"

The faun pondered this. "You're right," he said, rising to look Lucy in the eye. We will set up home here and be happy."

And so it seemed they would. They got their window replaced, they spent long nights by the fire caressing and sharing in sweet nothings.

She assured and nursed him when his ailments flared up.

They even carved their names in a nearby tree.

As the sun set on them through the bedroom window, two nights later, Tumnus asked, "Did you... meet anyone else, when you went back to Spare Oom?"

Lucy blinked. "Well no, I was nine."

"Oh yes," Tumnus remembered. "But did you miss me?"

"Of course, my darling."

With a vacant, but honest and deep smile, Tumnus leaned over his queen. The reddened sun gave her face a passionate glow, along with the deep longing in her eyes. "Lucy," he breathed on her ear, making her giggle. "Will you marry me?"

Lucy mind first jumped to 'yes', but then, what would that mean? She would have to stay here for years. With Tumnus, who was now an old faun. She would have to get used to the idea of herself as a married woman.

But then she realised that all of these were perfectly marvellous reasons to say yes. "Yes," she said.

Tumnus's eyes glittered. "You will? You will – you're not mocking me?"

"No!"

With a cry of joy, Tumnus grabbed Lucy by the wrists and ran out of the door with her, running on and on, like he had thought he would never run again. "We're getting married!" he cried to a robin they passed.

"Well done!" it called back.

"We're getting married!" he called to a family of rabbits doing their shopping.

Watching the woman and the faun dash happily into the distance, Granmpa Rabbit said to his daughter (Mummy Rabbit, of course), "By Jove, Lucy the Valiant is back!"

"No, Dad," said his daughter, with an assuring but patronising smile, "she's not."

­

"We're getting married!" Tumnus _and _ Lucy cried to the next person they met (a satyr) and ran on.

"We're ge-" Then, Tumnus stopped dead, causing Lucy to bang into him. But he barely noticed.

For there before him, now so old that his fur was completely grey, and a tiny pair of pince-nez was on his nose, was their old friend, Mr. Beaver.

He too was stunned by the sight before him. He stood up on his hind legs and sniffed with disbelief. "Tumnus?" he said, barely more than a whisper. "Tumnus, my old friend, is that you?"

"Yes!"

And only then did the real disbelief begin. For then the old beaver's eyes travelled behind the faun, to see Lucy. "What?" he cried softly. "Is that also my good queen Lucy?"

"It is, Mr. Beaver!" she replied.

And then they danced and talked and were so happy that they cried.

It emerged that Mrs. Beaver had died many years ago, but still, both Tumnus and Lucy were so pleased to think that they had lost two friends and regained one, that this did not stand in the way of their happiness for too long.

"We're getting married!" Tumnus told Mr. Beaver, at last.

"You are? Oh, how splendid! I should never have told you to give up your search for her, dear boy and I am so sorry."

"That's quite all right."

"But how is this possible? How can you have come back after all this time, Lucy? We have a new king."

"I know," said Lucy. "And I was sad to lose the throne, but all I want now is to live in happiness with my husband." And she and Tumnus kissed.

"And may you indeed," said Mr. Beaver. "So I shall not tell anyone you are back?"

"No, please don't. But please do come to our wedding!"

And so he did, he being the only guest. They had a very quiet, human-like ceremony the next week. Everyone's eyes had glistened as the vows were read out, and they were proclaimed Mr and Mrs Tumnus.

They decorated their cave with wreaths of beautiful autumn flowers, and had cake, sardines, a lightly-boiled brown egg, toast, toast with butter, toast with honey and sardines.

And how they looked forward to married life. 

­­

Warning: This is not the end!

Please review:)


End file.
